Mon Ampere review: Manoj Sri Harsha’s innovative take on platonic love deserves your time

3/5

Story:

Karthik has barely come to terms with his non-happening love life and is rather disoriented in his approach towards work. Amidst the COVID-19-induced lockdown, he is forced to stay alone in his room and struggles to find any inspiration from his mundane routine. What if he finds love in the form of an unexpected ghost? Where’s their romance headed?

Review:

Mon Ampere has an innovative-little premise born out of practical limitations. Set during the lockdown, the film centres on Karthik, a wayward, heartbroken protagonist who experiences love when he’s down in the dumps. He finds solace in the company of a formless yet friendly ghost that haunts his electronic appliances and communicates with him.

Karthik’s desperation for companionship helps further their bond. While he has his share of friends and reasonably supportive parents, he experiences a strange connection with an ‘electronic’ companion. Would he have cared for its presence if not for a work-from-home situation? Perhaps not; it’s an extraordinary situation, which elicits an equally unconventional response from him.

The writer, director makes considerable effort to give this ghost a personality - it is (unsurprisingly) a woman, Karthik even gives her a name (Jessy) and she even has a birth date. Thanks to Alexa, Jessy has a voice too. She hilariously says she wouldn’t dump him, like his ex. Karthik and Jessy converse through morse codes, tube lights, software applications, music and watch movies together.

Mon Ampere isn’t only an abstract idea for visual interpretation but poses a huge challenge to the filmmaker to keep the viewer emotionally invested in a nearly 90-minute-long narrative with limited characters. While it’s easy to be dismissive of this generation’s obsession with technology, Manoj’s premise makes us believe that it can pave the way towards unexpected solutions too.

Before Karthik comes across this ghost, he is clueless about killing time - he attends work calls, plans a diary entry every day, occasionally calls his friends, eats, watches porn and sleeps. With his new friend, he exhibits a greater zest for life and finds joy in the same mundane chores. He can’t stop blushing even while washing clothes and cleaning his room and dancing atop a terrace.

The film uses its only song - Geeta Dutt’s Babuji Dheere Chalna - with a note of caution, hinting at the protagonist to go slow with his romance. While the ghost’s responses are quite straightforward and even emotionless at times, Karthik considers her an integral part of his life. He even loves the way she laughs and forgets the world while in conversation. It’s this honesty that salvages this idea.

With the arrival of the father’s character, there’s an added layer of nostalgia to the film. Manoj utilises this as a window to look at simpler times, the love-hate relationship between fathers and sons, and borrows a leaf out of Fight Club to discuss why we’re an aimless generation. Karthik says his only hobby in life is sleeping when his father asks him to meet people to keep himself engaged.

Just when the going feels hunky dory, the director offers a reality check with a timely twist, helping the narrative wake up from its slumber. While the unique premise convinces you to watch the film initially, the experience turns worthwhile because of the innocence and the conviction in the storytelling. Manoj Sri Harsha takes care of the logic, yes, but doesn’t try too hard to connect the dots either.

The intricate sound design, background score (exploring the psyche of Karthik) and smart changes with the aspect ratios (signalling the presence/absence of the ghost) contribute to its appeal. The music goes a long way in establishing the ambiguities in Karthik’s mind as he struggles to choose between his professional commitments and a new-found companion.

Karthik as a protagonist is just an average common man who has nothing special about him, yet Zaheer Ahmed’s portrayal makes the character likeable for the same reason. He mirrors the frustrations, highs, and lows in the life of a 20s-something youngster with warmth and convinces his need for a soulmate who’ll complete him.

GS Chalapathi adds vigour to the proceedings with his brief appearance as a father who has a problem with previous and future generations. Mon Ampere takes time to grow on you - the success of the storyteller lies in his ability to make you overlook its absurdities and keep you hooked. It’s a sweet-little experiment made with a fondness and innocence you miss in mainstream cinema.

Verdict:

Mon Ampere is an innovative take on platonic love for a generation obsessed with instant gratification. Zaheer Ahmed’s endearing performance, complemented by Manoj Sri Harsha’s smart writing make it a satisfying and an equally thought-provoking watch.

(Mon Ampere can be watched on WatchMyFilm.com here )